Locking device for surveying instruments and the like



It. HEINRICH. LOCKING DEVICE FORHSURVEYING INSTRUMENTS AND THE L lKE.

APPLICATION FILED WM 30. 1919.

Patenwd May 25, 1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL HEINRICH, OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO BERTRAND L. MAKEPEACE, INC., A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

LOCKING DEVICE FOR SURVEYING INSTRUMENTS AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1920.

Application filed June 30, 1919. Serial No. 307,849.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL HEINRICH, a subject of the Government of Hungary, and a resident of Somerville, in the county of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locking Devices for Surveying Instruments and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to locking devices designed primarily for use in connection with surveying instruments wherein the tel" escope is required to be firmly held in place and yet readily removable therefrom.

Various devices have been used heretofore among which was a pin which was attached to one portion of the Y of an in strument by a cord and adapted to enter registering holes of the two parts of the Y to thereby hold them in locked position. This has been a very unsatisfactory method as it commonly happened that the cord would become worn or broken and the pin would be lost.

Another device consisted of a movable slide mounted on the stationary part of the Y having an overhanging lip adapted to pass over a projection on the movable portion of the Y. This method also is faulty as care had to be used in handling the instrument so that accidental displacement of the aforementioned slide would be avoided. n

An object of the present invention is to produce a neat, readily operated locking device that is at all times securely attached to the Y, and constitutes a positive lock that will not shake loose.

Another object of the invention is to produce a simple and sightly device with a minimum number of parts that is perfectly satisfactory in performing its function.

Another object of the invention is to produce a device that may be rapidly locked or unlocked without any especial attention of the user other than a slight twist of the locking screw in one direction or the other or untilthe screw comes to a stop.

The primary object of the invention is to produce a locking device of extreme simplicity, neat in appearance, cheap to manufacture and positive in its action.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be fully understood by reference to the description of the drawings and to the claims hereinafter given.

Of the drawings:

Figure 1 represents an elevation of a Y, embodying the present invention, and shown as in locked position with an indication of a telescope in place.

Fig.2 represents a left view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 represents a partial section on the line 3, 3 011 Fig. 2.

Fig. 1 represents a detail of a portion of the movable part'of the Y showing the receptacle for the locking screw which is indicated by dotted lines just before and after entering the receptacle.

Fig. 5 represents a detail of the locking screw as it would appear when removed from Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 represents a right view of Fig. 5.

Similar characters designate like parts throughout the several figures of the drawin s.

eferring to the drawings, 10 is a Y, a fixture well known among users of surveying instruments and used chiefly in retaming the telescope in its proper place with relation to the rest of the instrument. As is well known, it is sometimes'necessary to remove the telescope from its accustomed position in order to make adjustments repairs, etc, and for this purpose devices have been designed to permit of the ready removal of the telescope without the services of a skilled workman or the use of tools. v

In this instance, and as usual, the Y is made in two parts a stationary part 11 and a movable part 12 the two parts being hinged at 13 and diametrically opposite the hinge at a convenient point the locking screw 14 is provided.

The part 11 has a boss 15 which is drilled and tapped at 16 to receive the threaded shank of the screw 14.

A lug 17 extends outwardly from the boss 15 and acts as a stop device for the screw 14 as will be hereinafter explained.

The movable part 12 of the Y 10 is likewise drilled and tapped as at 18 and a portion of the metal is removed as at 19 to form an entrance for the flattened portion 20 of the screw 1 1.

For convenience of manipulation and to prevent the accidental withdrawal of the screw 14 and to also act as one member of a a stop device, the screw 14 is provided with the pin 21.

Figs. l to 33 inclusive show the device in locked position and for simplicity of drawing an indication only of a telescope 22 is made.

If it is desired to remove the telescope from the Y, the pin 21 will be turned in the direction of the arrow at of Fig. 2 until the left portion of the said pin contacts with the lug 17 when the partial rotation of the screw 14; will be stopped.

This partial rotation of the screw has changed the position of its flattened portion 20 so that it new lines up with the entrance 19 previously referred to.

By grasping the finger piece 23 of the movable part 12, said part may now be raised as indicated by dotted lines Fig. 1, sufiiciently to allow of the removal of the telescope 22.

On the other hand, to replace the telescope 22 it is again set in its position in the Y 10 and the .part 12 lowered into position Fig. 1, at which time the flattened portion 20 of the screw 14: will have passed through the entrance 19 of the part 12 and into the threaded receptacle 18 and a partialturn of the screw ltopposite to the direction of the arrow 0 will be made until the right portion of the .pin 21 meets the lug 17.

Preferably both parts 11-12 of the Y 10 are threaded to receive the screw 14E as it effectually ties the two parts 1-1 12 with the screw 14- and obviates any tendency toward looseness of the'parts.

In order to assemble the screw 1% with the part ll,=the-screw is first turned into the boss 15 the required distance with its fiattened portion 20 in register with the entrance 19; at which time the hole to receive the .pin 21' will be in a vertical position and the pin 21 is then driven in.

The pin 21' acts as a handy device to turn the screw 14, and further acts as a positioning device for the flattened portion 20 in "conjunction with the lug 17 and also effectuallyprevents the accidental withdrawal of the screw from its-place.

While this invention has been shown and described in connection with surveying instruments it is obvious that it is equally valuable inother arts and it is not the intention to limit the claims to this particular construction as slight changes maybe made without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a locking device of the class described,-a standing part, a movable part, a locking means attached to said standing part com-prising a circularly movable threaded member capable of advancing and retracting in the-direction of its axis a partial rotation of which enables it to positively engage both of said parts, and means to limit the rotation of said locking means for the locking and unlocking movements thereof.

2. In a locking device of the class de scribed, a standingpart, a movable part, a locking means movable about its own axis permanently attached to said standing part capable of advancing and retracting in the direction of its axis during the operations of locking and unlocking, and means to limit the movement of said locking means.

In a locking device oi? the class dcscribed, a standing part, a niovable part, a locking means permanently attached to one of said parts, means to rotate said locking means, means to limit the rotation of said locking means, and a coacting receptacle for said locking means capable oi close ad herence to said locking means.

el. In a locking device of the class described, a standing part, a movable part hinged to said standing part, a rotatable locking means capable of advancing and retracting in the direction of its axis adapted to rotate about its axis to positively ongage both of said parts and capable oi disengagement from one of said parts, and means on one of said parts to enable it to assume engaging position with said locking means.

5. In a locking device oi the class described, a standing part, a movable part, locking means constantly in engagement with one of said parts and protrudinginto the path of the other of said parts. means such as a receptacle in said movable part to permit the engagement of said looking means with said movable part. means such as finger pieces to Facilitate in the rotation of said locking means to engage said last mentioned part and a stop device to limit the rotation of said locking means.

6. In a locking device of the class described, a standing part. a movable part. a screw permanently attached to said standin: part and protruding into the path of the movable part, threads in both of said parts adapted to be engaged by said screw when said parts are in locked position and disengaged from the threads or the movablc part wncn the parts-arc in unlocked position. means on the movable part to permit it to assume engaging position with said screw. and means to rotate said scrcw whereby it will engage the thrcads of said movable part.

7. In a locking device of the class described. a standing part. a movable part a screw permanently attached to said standing part. said screw having a flattened portion at the end thereof protruding into the path of the movable part, a receptacle tor said flattened portion. means to permit said flattened portion to enter said receptacle,

and means torotate said screw whereby the threads of said flattened portion will engage the threads of the said movable part.

8. In a device of the class described, a standing part a movable part, a screw permanently attached to said standing part having a flattened portion 1i rotrnding into the path of: said movable part and adapted to be engaged with or disengaged from said movable part, a threaded receptacle for said flattened portion, a slot in said movable part leading into said threaded receptacle, means to rotate said flattened portion in said irceptacle, and means to limit the rotation of said flattened portion.

9. In a device of the class described, a standing part a movable part hinged thereto; a threaded boss on said standing part adapted to receive a screw; a screw in said boss having projections extending therefrom; a threaded receptacle in said movable part having a lateral entrance thereto adapted to receive the end of said screw; and a stop device on said standing part adapted to coact with said projections to limit the rotation of said screw.

10. In a device of the class described, two members movable relatively toward and from each other the free ends of which over lap and adapted to abut each other; a threaded hole in one of said members; a threaded receptacle registering with said threaded holes having a lateral entrance thereto in. the other of said members; a locking member in said threaded hole; means to rotate said locking member; and means to limit the rotation of said locking member.

Signed by me at 4r Post Ofiice Square, Boston Mass, this 21st day of June, 1919. 1

CARL HEINRICH; 

